roof mounted solar panels - which ones to get?

[dreadlocks]

Oh right, Well I spoke to the Solar guys about which panel I need but for now I am going to use these FLA's as temporary measure but I want some batteries that will charge up during the limited Sunshine hours I get, I thought about AGB which are 5 X faster than the FLA's but then that brings me to either Lithium or Lead Crystal, either way I need batteries that will charge via solar or a battery charger within 4 or 5 hours, Unlike the FLA's.

With both of my panels hooked up to same charge controller I was able to take battery from 20% to 100% in far less than 4h, and I was hitting the 30A limit on my controller.. My plan was to use two seperate controllers if I end up deploying the 2nd panel and then I should be able to get it down to about 2.5h of sunlight needed.. getting that much sun in Colorado is easy peasy already, but I've got alot of family in the Pacific North West, and those pale vampire people dont even know what the sun looks like.. I think that 2nd panel is going to be desirable when I head up there, especially since I'm wanting to spend a month or so every summer camped out somewhere working remotely while my kids play w/grandparents and cousins.

 

[67cj5]

With both of my panels hooked up to same charge controller I was able to take battery from 20% to 100% in far less than 4h, and I was hitting the 30A limit on my controller.. My plan was to use two seperate controllers if I end up deploying the 2nd panel and then I should be able to get it down to about 2.5h of sunlight needed.. getting that much sun in Colorado is easy peasy already, but I've got alot of family in the Pacific North West, and those pale vampire people dont even know what the sun looks like.. I think that 2nd panel is going to be desirable when I head up there, especially since I'm wanting to spend a month or so every summer camped out somewhere working remotely while my kids play w/grandparents and cousins.

Coool, So your running a 325w panel, I was thinking of running 4 X 140w which is 560w, My idea was to use smaller panels but thinking about it 2 of them will take up more space than 1 X 325 won't it, 2 X 160w might work and to be honest If I can get the batteries to charge in around 4 hours or less then maybe I won't need 4 panels, ?

My 50 Qt ARB uses between 120w to around 250w +/- . Baring in mind I have the 82 Qt model as well which I have yet to test out so I don't know what the realistic power drain is, I bought a great little TV that has about 176 freeview channels which only uses between 6.2 to about 8.3 watts per hour, and apart from lighting which is minimal my power usage is quite low being under 5 to 600w per day,

 

[dreadlocks]

a single 325W on a 100AH LFP will do 600Wh a day easy..

I'm doing twice that on average when I go out, 90 something quart Engel, Propex Furnace, Radio w/100W Sub, Power Vent, Breeze Fan, dusk/dawn internal/external lighting, fuel gauge, 3 mobile transceivers, 6 handheld radio charger, pod coffee maker, toaster, some quick microwave meal for kids at some point, mebe zap a few cups of water for afternoon tea, a rice cooker we make lil crockpot meals in on hiking days so we can come back to camp and not have to cook, and the wife now wants an ice maker for her whiskey, as she'll empty a thermos full of ice in just a weekend easy.. so why not.

Other than a test run after changing the oil this spring, my Generator has not ran at all this season.. last season, I was fully dependant on it at least a few hours a day (yay quick charge).. Seen about 25 night so far this season I think.. and this is a rather light summer historically.. work has been nuts for both me and my old lady.. usually our flexible time is far more flexible.. but anyhow, I've not been at any want for power so far this season.. the fixed solar panel really blew my expectations out of the water, I dont think I fully appreciated the difference between solar on LFP as it was on FLA.